The man, the empire, the history. Regarding Vera Galaktionova’s Novel „5/4. The Day Before Silence” Cover Image

Człowiek, imperium, historia. O powieści Wiery Gałaktionowej „5/4. W Przededniu Ciszy”
The man, the empire, the history. Regarding Vera Galaktionova’s Novel „5/4. The Day Before Silence”

Author(s): Aleksander Wawrzyńczak
Subject(s): Language and Literature Studies, Studies of Literature, Russian Literature, Theory of Literature
Published by: Polskie Towarzystwo Rusycytyczne
Keywords: Vera Galaktionova; Russian prose; construct of the narrator; narratives; modern Russian literature

Summary/Abstract: The present article is attempting to interpret the novel by Vera Galaktionova, entitled 5/4. The Day before Silence. The multi-leveled storyline of the novel allows its author to discuss complex problems faced by those living in modern Russia. The characters presented in the novel struggle with everyday life, but at the same time they experience “imperial consciousness,” subdued during the time of perestroika, and during the time of the liberal reforms that followed it in the post-soviet countries. Special attention is paid to the complex construct of the narrator, and to the rhythmic quality of the text, which is based on jazz syncope. The author stresses, that although Galaktioinova’s writing makes one of the most original phenomenon in modern Russian literature, it has been notoriously ignored by domestic critiques.

  • Issue Year: 2010
  • Issue No: 129
  • Page Range: 19-34
  • Page Count: 16
  • Language: Polish